Hot Rod Magazine (April 2016) - Engine Masters Challenge - Packard V8

[DEEPNHOCK]

Woohoo!

Nice write up Page 36
(First example) 363 Packard V8
Lynn Peterson - Kustom Kemp Team...

[SN-60]

This same story was featured in another mag several months ago.

[junior]

Oh, ya, just reading that last night...kudos to the Kustom Kemp team. I really enjoyed the all the vintage engine builds...who knows, perhaps next year even a Stude engine too? Rather random, but I loved those finned valve covers on the Mopar Poly engine. Another Packard mention in last month's issue of Hot Rod was larger-than-life bore center dimensions. cheers, Junior

[PackardV8]

Originally, HRM did not include the '55-56 Packard V8 in the list of eligible entries. I wanted to enter one, so I wrote them, petitioning for inclusion and they agreed. Then, an out-of-country scheduling conflict came along, so I couldn't enter myself. I heard Lynn Peterson was interested in entering a Packard, so I offered to provide all the parts if he had the engine built and took it to the EMC contest.

The rocker covers, rocker arms, Arias forged pistons, Rotofaze ignition and headers were from Rich Fox's old Bonneville engine. Everything else was rebuilt with new heads, 2x4 tunnel ram, NOS Iskenderian solid roller cam, rings, bearings, SFI damper and flywheel, electric water pump and the headers modified to fit the dyno system.

On the Kustom Kemps dyno, they found the heads needed larger intake valves and more cam lift and duration, but the timeline didn't allow for changes before the EMC.

jack vines

[junior]

Pretty amazing to me to get 450 hp from this engine...as noted in the text, looking at the headers and one would conclude that this engine wouldn`t be able breathe, but 270 cfm stock flow rate heads that were improved 10% by porting enables some shocking (to me anyways) results. hmmm...13:1 compression and 6000rpm has revised my opinion that Packard v-8's make great boat anchors. I an enlightened. Bravo. Regarding the rules...is a Studebaker v-8 even a viable option in this competition? Fun and serious competition...representation from the Olds and AMC camps would prove entertaining as well. cheers, Junior

[PackardV8]

Pretty amazing to me to get 450 hp from this engine...as noted in the text, looking at the headers and one would conclude that this engine wouldn`t be able breathe, but 270 cfm stock flow rate heads that were improved 10% by porting enables some shocking (to me anyways) results. hmmm...13:1 compression and 6000rpm has revised my opinion that Packard v-8's make great boat anchors. I an enlightened. Bravo.

Yes, Junior, as mentioned earlier, with larger intake valves and more cam, the computer says it should make 500 horsepower. I'm currently building a 427" which should easily make 550, but I'm camming it for the street, a supercharger and EFI.

Regarding the rules...is a Studebaker v-8 even a viable option in this competition?

Yes, the Stude V8 is eligible.

Normally Aspirated OEM domestic production passenger car V8 engine types or families introduced in 1954 or earlier.

The problem is the intake port flow. Some development work matching the cubic inch displacement with the head flow and the cam specs might produce an engine which wouldn't make the highest horsepower but might have a competitive score.

To compensate for the different engine displacements, the average corrected torque quotient for 3 dyno pulls and the average corrected horsepower quotient for 3 dyno pulls are added together. The sum of the average corrected torque quotient and the average corrected horsepower quotient are multiplied by 1000 and then divided by the claimed cubic inch displacement of the engine. This will yield a quotient number to be used for scoring for engine dyno results.

Fun and serious competition...representation from the Olds and AMC camps would prove entertaining as well. cheers, Junior

The early Olds is eligible and there are even aftermarket aluminum heads available for it. The Gen I AMC isn't technically eligible, as it didn't come along until mid-'56, but I'd guess if someone wanted to enter one, HRM would include it.

Jon Kaase's winning entry basically cut apart aftermarket Y-block Ford aluminum heads and welded in small block Chevy intake ports and used a Chevy manifold. It meets the letter of the rules, but he'd probably charge $5,000 to duplicate those heads.

jack vines

[hausdok]

Jack,

That 427 is a pretty rad-looking engine. Where did you come up with an injection manifold for a Packard?

[PackardV8]

Jack,

That 427 is a pretty rad-looking engine. Where did you come up with an injection manifold for a Packard?

Custom made by cutting a big block Mopar intake into four pieces, adding 1/4", welding on a new top, welding in injector bungs. It's just time and money.

FWIW, the custom stainless fuel rails were one of the more difficult parts of the project.



jack vines

jack vines

[JRoberts]

I too saw that article in Hot Rod Magazine and was quite excited to see the Packard engine on the first page of it.

[evilhawk]

Jack, that has to be the coolest engine Ive seen yet. Where did you get the blower? Ive never seen anything like it. Great work! I hope you post videos of it running.

[junior]

Wow, that blown Packard is one cool engine Jack...what is it going to power down the road? That blower looks like a modern version of a Latham...so what exactly is it? Sweet indeed. Cheers, Junior

[SN-60]

With its inherently weak engine block, there's no doubt '55-'56 Packard V8 owners will be disappointed if they push for big horsepower over a sustained period......However, I suppose anyone seeking extremely high performance numbers from this engine probably has, as Jay Leno would say, more $$$$$$$ than brains!!

[bezhawk]

I have heard about Packards oiling problems, but NEVER EVER heard about block weakness. (except from you)
What do you base your statements on?

[PackardV8]

Wow, that blown Packard is one cool engine Jack...what is it going to power down the road? That blower looks like a modern version of a Latham...so what exactly is it? Sweet indeed. Cheers, Junior

Yes, good eye, Junior. It's the last and largest Latham.

With its inherently weak engine block, there's no doubt '55-'56 Packard V8 owners will be disappointed if they push for big horsepower over a sustained period.

Ed's continual denigration of the Packard V8 engine and Twin Ultramatic transmission is not new news, nor are the personal insults.

.......However, I suppose anyone seeking extremely high performance numbers from this engine probably has, as Jay Leno would say, more $$$$$$$ than brains!!

That a GMC 6-71 supercharged Packard V8 powered the first ever dragster to top 150 MPH may be of interest to some.



jack vines

[SN-60]

I have heard about Packards oiling problems, but NEVER EVER heard about block weakness. (except from you)
What do you base your statements on?

Well bez, I believe a 'noted Packard V8 expert' honestly mentioned this a few years ago on this very forum, when we were discussing the merits of Studebaker vs Packard V8's....I don't know if that thread still exists, but it was definitely said by the 'noted expert'!

Perhaps you should try reading the various threads a bit closer bez?